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Hi plane builders,
is there any info available regarding electrifying a VQ models P40, I've got the kit, but am now rightly or wrongly looking more to go leccy than smelly to keep her indoors happier,
prematurly thanks for any sensible help.(only regarding aircraft )PLEASE

First off, achieving the power you need is just not an issue, nor is it expensive. maximum prop size will have a big influence, but if you can get a 16" prop on, a 400g Kv =370-420 motor on 6S should outpower (but not outlast) a .90 2 stroke or even the NGH 17cc gasser I considered. Even if you're limited to 14 or 15" you can still do very well - just need Kv up around 500 on 6S, or around 350 on 8S.

To me, the big questions are where are you going to put batteries, and how hard is it going to be to get them in and out. Battery location is important to not ending up too heavy, because if you can't get them well forward to offset the light weight of the motor compared to the glow engine, you'll often end up needing ballast in the nose.

Taking wings off or undoing cowls or similar shenanigans to change batteries is going to get pretty old pretty quickly and negate the ability of a quick battery swap to offset the shorter flight time you might get with electric. You could do a permanent A123 install and charge in the model, but at a significant cost and power/weight penalty.

It looks to me that the VQ P-40 has the firewall a long way aft, with the motor sitting out on a motor box, and it's not apparent that there's any good place to build in a hatch. Unfortunately that other thread just stopped before the battery installation was described.

As a contrast, take a look at the Phoenix Top Models, particularly the P-47 and Corsair, where the firewalls are way forward, and the whole top of the fuselage back to the canopy comes off. I'm building a Corsair atm, but until I see how it's going to balance, I'm not going to come out and recommend it.

I agree about the Pheonix Top Models. I have just bought a P51 Mustang and it is set up for electric conversion with the boxing on the firewall making it fairly easy to fit an electric motor and place the battery through the removable cockpit.

As far as going IC or electric IMHO it's 6 of one half a dozen of the other. I am all electric at present with planks and helis running from 3S to 12S batteries.They are clean and there is no problem getting the motors going but I can spend hours charging batteries. I see the advantage of IC in just having a quick clean down and putting it away until next week. I also see the advantage of longer flight times with IC especially petrol motors.

If I was 20 years younger and just considering IC or electric I would go IC. There is nothing like the sound of a 3D nitro plane flat out or a scale plank with a 4 stroke motor buzzing the runway.

One thing from left field though, check your local club. From what I hear more and more clubs are under pressure to reduce noise which means no IC.

PS. I have just trashed (read jumped on) a new VQ AT6. It was rubbish. The fuselage was twisted and the wings would not sit level. There was no blocking in the tail for the lower rudder hinge and the hinges generally were fitted very untidily. One aileron fixing plate in the wing collapsed when I was screwing the aileron onto it. The Phoenix is much better quality.

Hi chaps
a very interesting supply of input regarding my request on ic/electric,for a VQ kit the general quality of build by the manufacture I've no major groans over other than some of the covering on the fusalage looks it it was applied by a first year apprentice,as scirocco points out the distance from firewall to the point of the nosecone is quiet some distance,so the SC70 at the moment looks like it could still be showing the most promise, Watdazit,tis a shame to here about your A T 6
one member of our family has one and as yet he rates it o k, kimber your advice regarding available leccy power items is very informative, and RCs etc I'm with both HI tec 2-4 and Futaba,35mg converted to 2-4 with frsky's conversion kit via UKs G/C supplies,
thanks for your input